Hua Feixue tilted her head. "Beef? How does that taste?"

She turned the cup in her hands, trying to see if there was anything special about it. It was just a lightweight container. No spiritual qi fluctuations, no unique aura. Just a plain, ordinary object.

Then, her eyes moved downward.

Hua Feixue's eyes widened.

She rubbed them, just to make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"Senior Sister…" Hua Feixue swallowed.

"I… I think my eyes are playing tricks on me. Can you check the price for me?"

Yue Xueyan also noticed it. The price was clearly written on a small tag below the display.

One crystal.

Hua Feixue whipped her head toward Hao.

"Owner, does this really cost one crystal?"

"Yeah."

Hua Feixue almost dropped the cup.

'A crystal?!'

'This isn't a dining pavilion! Why does it cost so much?!'

"Does it require special preparation?" Yue Xueyan asked, throwing out an entirely different question.

"To cook it? No. Just hot water is enough."

Hua Feixue narrowed her eyes at Hao suspiciously.

"Owner… you're not scamming us, right?"

To Hua Feixue, it didn't make sense. One crystal could buy a full-course meal. Who in their right mind would spend that much on noodles?

Before Hua Feixue could continue, Yue Xueyan suddenly raised her slender finger and lightly pressed it against Hua Feixue's lips, stopping her from speaking further.

Yue Xueyan lowered her hand and spoke calmly.

"We'll both try it."

Hua Feixue blinked in surprise. "Senior Sister?"

Yue Xueyan was intrigued.

Either this was an elaborate scam, or there was something special about this product.

Yue Xueyan had already tried to sense Hao's cultivation level earlier but found nothing. Either he was a mere mortal… or he was a hidden expert, disguising his true strength.

And if he really was a senior in disguise, there was no way he would go through all this trouble just to scam people out of a single crystal.

If these noodles weren't worth their price, she could easily deal with the owner herself.

Hua Feixue, seeing Yue Xueyan's decision, could only sigh in defeat.

"Fine… but if this turns out to be a scam, I'll make sure we don't leave empty-handed."

Yue Xueyan calmly grabbed two cups of instant noodles and took out two crystals, placing them on the counter in front of Hao.

"You're sure about this?" Hao pointed at the Rule No. 2 on the board.

Was buying noodles supposed to feel like signing a life-binding contract?

"Senior Sister."

"Why does this sound so serious? Even the heavens can't reverse it? Is this noodle store backed by some immortal sect?"

Yue Xueyan merely squinted at the board, then turned back to Hao.

"We are sure."

Hao shrugged. "Alright."

He extended his hand toward them.

Hua Feixue stared at his open palm.

"…"

What was this?

A handshake? A secret martial arts greeting? A hidden technique transmission?

Hua Feixue took a step back.

"Wait… what are you doing?"

Hao sighed. "Hand it over first. I need to scan it to verify your purchase, fairy misses."

Hua Feixue nearly choked.

Fairy misses?

Hua Feixue turned to Yue Xueyan, only to see her Senior Sister silently placing her cup in Hao's hand without hesitation.

Hua Feixue had no choice but to follow.

Hao took the cups and ran them over a small black box.

Beep. Beep.

"Done." Hao handed them back.

As they took their cups, Hao finally took a good look at the two.

Before, he hadn't paid much attention, but now that he looked closer…

Damn.

They weren't just beautiful. They were the kind of beautiful that could make the world go silent.

Even without makeup, their skin was flawless, like jade polished to perfection.

If they walked into the modern world, they wouldn't just be top-tier celebrities - they would be on the level of goddess-like figures in fantasy dramas.

And Yue Xueyan…

Her beauty wasn't just about her face. It was the way she carried herself, as if she stood above the mundane world.

Hao exhaled lightly.

Cultivators really weren't normal.

Hao walked over to the water dispenser and gave it a tap.

"Okay, listen up. Open the lid a little, put your cup in the holder, and this machine will do the work for you."

"Machine?"

"What kind of artifact is this, owner?"

"It's called water dispenser. It gives you water - hot, cold, or room temperature."

Hua Feixue looked at the water in disbelief.

"An artifact that pours water on command?"

'Convenient.' Yue Xueyan thought.

Hua Feixue hesitated for a second before peeling back the lid of her cup and placing it in the holder. A perfect stream of hot water flowed out, stopping precisely at the right amount.

"This…! It really works!"

Hao ignored Hua Feixue and grabbed two pairs of chopsticks, handing them over.

"Now, sit in the corner. Place the chopsticks on top of the lid to seal it. The noodles will be ready in three minutes."

Hua Feixue looked at her senior sister, her expression full of doubt.

Yue Xueyan gave a small nod, so she submitted to the instructions. Yue Xueyan copied her, placing her cup under the dispenser, waiting for the water, then quietly going to sit in the corner.

Hua Feixue leaned toward Yue Xueyan and whispered.

"Senior Sister, is this really edible? Three minutes… can something cook that quickly?"

"This won't poison us, will it?"

"If it does, we'll die together." Yue Xueyan replied, clearly teasing.

Hua Feixue: "…"

Hua stared at her Senior Sister, then at the cup, then back at her Senior Sister.

"Senior Sister, are you serious?"

"Mn." Yue Xueyan gave a slow nod, her face unreadable.

"Should we really be eating this - "

From behind the counter, Hao suddenly coughed, drawing their attention. He had overheard their conversation and was caught off guard.

He never thought Yue Xueyan, who looked so cold and composed, could actually make a joke.

'Was that even a joke? Or is she really prepared to die over a cup of noodles?'

Time slipped away, and three minutes had come and gone.

"Time's up."

"This should be ready to eat, Senior Sister."

"Try it and see." Yue Xueyan said, already reaching for her own cup.